Transmission mechanism



May 16, 1939. R. R. EASTIN TRANSMISSION MECHANISM Original Filed March31, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet l ,gwucntcm 120ZZieR.E,aslin/ i r Q May 16,1939. R. R. EASTIN TRANSMISSION MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 OriginalFiled March 31, 1936 Patented May 16, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE2,158,573 TRANSMISSION MECHANISM Original application March 31, 1936,Serial No.

71,915. Divided and her 3, 1936, Serial No.

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in transmission mechanisms, andits objects are as follow:

First, to provide a transmission mechanism in which the usual gear shiftlever is eliminated from the drivers compartment, thereby increasing theroom for and comfort of the front seat passengers as Well as increasingthe freedom of the driver.

Second, to provide a transmission mechanism in which the speed-changegears are always in mesh with their drivers, only one at a time,however, being coupled with the driven shaft, the others being uncoupledfrom said shaft, the coupling and uncoupling of speed-change gears beingunder the control of a turnable finger-piece on the steering wheel.

Third, to provide each of the speed-change gears with a locking key, andselecting means by which any desired one of the locking means is madeactive to lock the respective gear to the driven shaft.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a combined sectional and elevational view of a structureembodying the inven tion.

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the transmission housingand its contents.

Figure 3 is a detail cross section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a detail sectional perspective View of one of the gearcenters and one of its movable keys.

Figure 5 is a plan View of the steering wheel, showing the shifter dialand finger-piece.

Figure 6 is a detail cross section taken on the line 65 of Fig. 5.

This application is a division of an application for patent forTransmission mechanism, filed by Rollie R. Eastin, March 31, 1936,Serial #7l,915. The instant application is confined to structure in thetransmission, and to the means by which the individual locking keys ofthe respective speed-change gears are controlled.

The gear release bar 32 is subject to a small amount of reciprocatorymovement, and this is produced, according to the original application,by linkage which connects said bar with a clutch pedal 3. Said linkagecomprises a rack bar 8 which is connected to the clutch pedal by a pivotpin 5, a gear [6, link I1 which is connected to the gear at iii, aturnable disc I9 and link 30. The adjacent ends of the links H, 30' arepivthis application Novemotally connected to the disc IS. The link 30 isconnected to the bar 32. Another link 2| connects the disc l9 to an arm23 on a shaft 24 which carries a clutch fork 26. The principle ofoperation is that when said pedal nears the end of a down-stroke by footpressure the bar 32 is moved to the left, and when said pedal nears theend of the up-stroke, resulting from letting up pressure on the pedal,said bar is moved to the right. Because of the fact that reciprocationof the bar could be had by means other than the clutch pedal andlinkage. The description of the latter is to be regarded only assuggestive of one arrangement.

Before describing the transmission in the housing 37 into which the bar32 extends, attention is directed to the shifting mechanism which isherein substituted for the conventional gear shift lever. A dial 38(Fig. 5) is afiixed to the upper end of a rigid tube 43 which extendsthrough the steering column and beyond the steering wheel 40. The dialhas five peripheral depressions M marked 3, 2, l, N and R as shown,indicating third, second and first speeds, neutral and reverse. Theenlargement 42 of the dial 38 provides stops adjacently to thedepressions for 3 and N.

A rod 44 extending up through the tube 43 (Fig. 1) is bent into an end45 (Fig. 6) to which a barrel 46 is attached. This barrel has a recessthat confronts the periphery of the dial 38. A latch 41, pressedoutwardly by a spring 48, is part of a finger-piece 49 which is actuatedby the driver when he selects the various speeds indicated on the dial.The bent end 45 and fingerpiece 49 comprise the present substitute forthe former gear shift lever, but because of the diminutive size of theelements 45, 49 they appear as nothing more'than an ordinary throttlelever.

The lower end of the shift rod 44 carries a worm. gear 50 (Fig. 1) inpermanent mesh with a gear quadrant 5|. The quadrant is journaled on ashaft 55. It hasan arm 56 to which one end of a link 51 is pivotallyconnected. The other end of the link is pivotally connected to a rocker58 which is mounted on an appropriate bracket 59 which is aflixed to theside of a clutch housing (not shown).

At its upper end the rocker 58 is forked at 60 to contain the stud 6| ofthe shifting bar 62. This bar, like the transmission release bar 32,extends into the transmission housing 31. The two bars are situated sideby side.

This housing contains a step bearing 63 (Fig. 2) which supports thelargest of three transmission gears 64, 65 and 66. These are drive gearsand they revolve continuously as a unit, being connected, as long as theclutch (not shown) is engaged. Driving power for this unit is derivedfrom a pinion 61 which is carried by the drive shaft 68 which extendsforwardly into the clutch housing 25 where it is subject to the clutch.

The driven shaft "II has the sleeve 11 of a circular flange I8 securedto it. The flange has two or more headed studs 19 secured to it so as toproject rearwardly in parallelism to each other and to the driven shaftII. Most of the driven shaft is longitudinally fluted to-provide splinesfor an assemblage of disks, collars and gear centers.

The first of a pair of shiftable disks is the transmission release disk82. This has an annular groove to contain the forked end 83 of thetransmission release bar 32. The operation of this bar will shift thedisk 82 into either of the extreme positions, whether at the right orleft, on the studs I9 (Fig. 2). This disk is intended to have only thetwo positions. When in the right position (Fig. 2) it is permissible forthe keys to lock the gears. When in the left position the keys areneutralized.

Each of a pair of gear release bars 84 is permanently secured at itsleft end in the disk 82. Said bars lie flat against a pair of shifterbars 85 which begin at a shifter disk 86. The latter disk is annularlygrooved to contain the fork 8! of the shifting bar 52. When the shiftingbar '62 is moved by operation of the finger-piece 49 (Fig. 1) the disk86 will take any one of the five possible positions.

Gear centers 88, 89, 90 and 9I are fixed upon the driven shaft II. Theotherwise peripherally smooth faces of said centers have diametricallyopposite key recesses 93. The respective gear centers carry the3rd-speed gear 94, 2nd-speed gear 95, lst-speed gear 96 and the reversegear 91.

Facing plates 98 keep the gear centers and the ring or speed-changegears together in sets, the gears having a. turning fit upon thecenters. The details of the previously mentioned gear release bars 84are now described. Each bar extends from the disk 82 through the disk86, all of the gear centers and all of the facing plates, projectingbeyond the last of the facing plates at the right (Fig. 2).

Each gear release bar has notches on its inner side, these, reading inthe order of the gears, being designated IOI, I02, I03 and I04. Thenotches in the two bars are in confronting relationship. Each notch israther long, having an abrupt left end I05 and a long incline I06 at itsright end.

The shifter bars 85 also have notches on their inner sides which,reading in the order of the gears, are designated I01, I08, I09 and H0.Both ends of each of these notches are abrupt as at III. The notches ofthe two sets of bars are adaptedto be brought into registration by arelease of the foregoing clutch pedal or, more directly to the pointhere, by a rightward movement of the gear release bar- 32.

Because of the fact that each of the change gears is alike inconstruction, the following description is applied to the 3rd-speed gear94, the same reference characters being applied to corresponding partsof the other gears. The center 88 of this gear contains a key II2 ineach of its recesses 93 (Fig. 3). These keys are in the form of a U soas to provide an internal spring and bar space II3. A heavy leaf springII 4 extends into the respective space, its free ends resting on thebottom of the recess, and the crotch H5 in its mid portion constantlybearing against a cross pin H8 in the key because of the spring tension.

The gear release and shifter bars 84, 85 occupy the space II3constantly, the keys I I2 being radially movable with respect thereto,first inwardly of the recesses 93 in the gear center then outwardly intoany diametrical pair of recesses H1 in the change or ring gear 94 so asto lock the gear and its center together. The keys II2 then occupy bothsets of recesses in the gear and its center, bridging the dividing linebetween to do the locking as shown in Fig. 3.

A further and the chief purpose of the cross pins H6 is to cooperatewith the notches IEJI, etc., I'I, etc., in the bars 88, 85. When thesenotches are brought into registration by a relative shifting of the bars(Fig. '7) the springs Ii press the keys II2 into the recesses IIIbecause of the room that the matched bar-recesses affords. Later, whenthe bars 84 are shifted relatively to the bars 85 to the clutch-outpositions the movement of inclines I06 across the pins I I6 moves thelatter inwardly to retract the keys II2 from the recesses IN. Thisreleases the rotating gear 94 from its center 88, leaving the latter andthe driven shaft II idle until the next gear shift.

The operation is readily understood. As previously stated, the gearrelease bar 32 is adapted to be moved back and forth to shift thetransmission release disk from one of its two positions to the other,the innermost position being shown in Fig. 2. Considering this view ofthe transmission as it stands, the latter is assumed to be operating at3rd or high speed. The 3rdspeed gear 94 is locked to its center 88 bythe keys IIZ. Consequently the shaft TI is driven at engine speed, thelarge gear 64 acting as an idler intermediately of the pinion 87 andgear 94.

As yet it is not possible to move the fingerpiece 49 (Fig. from theBrd-speed position because the abrupt ends III of the notches I01 in theshifter bars 85 now occupied by the cross pins II6 (Fig. 2) offer anobstruction to more than a slight movement of said bars toward the left,corresponding to a slight counter-clockwise turn of the finger-piece(Fig. 5).

Assume it to be desired to shift the transmission mechanism intoneutral. It is necessary to first disengage the clutch. After that hasbeen accomplished the gear release bar 32 is moved to the leftdisplacing the disk 82 (Fig. 2) from the position there shown to aposition in abutment with the headed studs 19.

This displacement of the disk 82 carries the attached gear release bars84 to the left. These bars are the ones that have notches HM to I04. Thelong inclines me of the notches it! ride over the cross pins H8,retracting the keys H2 from the recesses II! in the Brd-speed gear 9 3against the tension of the springs H8. The gear 94 continues to revolvebut its center 88 and the driven shaft II become dormant because oftheir release.

Turn the finger-piece 49 counter-clockwise to neutral. This causes therocker 58 (Fig. 1) to turn counter-clockwise. The resulting pull on theshifting bar 62 moves the shifter disk 88 from the 3rd-speed position tothe neutral position. All of the notches II]? to H0 in the shifter bars85 are now out of range of all of the cross pins H6. Consequently it isnot possible for the springs M4 to move any of the keys H2 into lockingengagement with any of the gears 9% to 97.

Assume that it is next desired. to shift into lst-speed. The clutch isagain disengaged, said clutch, presumably, having been reengaged afterthe foregoing shift to neutral was accomplished. The selection is madeby moving the fingerpiece 49 (Fig. 5) from neutral to the lst-speed.position. The notches I09 (Fig. 2) would by that act be brought intoposition over the cross pins H6 of the lst-speed gear 95. This completes the selection. Now by moving the gear release bar 32 to theright, thereby restoring the transmission release disk 82 to theposition shown in Fig. 2, the notches H33 in the bars thereof will comeinto registration with the notches H19, enabling the keys NZ to enterthe first pair of recesses Ill (Fig. 3) that they will encounter, andthus lock the 1st-speed gear to its center 95. This having beenaccomplished, the operator should let in the clutch, thereby impartingdriving power to the shaft ll.

It is to be noted in Fig. 2 that the notches l0], etc. in the gearrelease bars 84 are at uniform distances from the cross pins H6. All ofthese notches take positions over the cross pins when the disk 82 is inthe innermost position, and all of the same notches are displaced aneven distance to one side of the cross pins when said disk is in theextreme left position. But the notches I01 etc. in the shifter bars 85are progressively farther away from the cross pins H6 of the sets ofkeys H2 which they control. This is necessary because of the progressiveadjustment of the shifter disk 86 in response to the speed selection atthe dial 38.

I claim:

1. In transmission mechanism, a driven shaft, a gear center fixedthereon, and having a peripheral recess, a ring gear mounting on saidcenter and having a recess to match the recess therein, a key located inthe gear center recess, resilient means adapted to press the keyoutwardly, said key having a cross pin against which the resilient meansbears, a bar extending through the gear center recess and its key,having a notch, and means to shift the bar so as to register the notchwith the cross pin thus enabling the resilient means to extend the keyfrom the gear center into a bridging position across said center andgear.

2. Transmission mechanism. having a driven shaft and a plurality ofdriven speed-change gears, an equivalent plurality of gear centersaffixed to said shaft for the respective gears, pressure-operablelocking means sequestered in the gear centers and adapted to lock eachgear to the shaft, a shifter bar transfixing the gear centers andnormally suppressing said locking means, said shifter bar having notchesspaced progressively farther from the various locking means in a givenposition of the bar, a release bar also transfixing the gear centersand. having notches spaced evenly from the various locking means butprogressively farther from the various shifter bar-notches in the firstof two positions of the release bar in which its notches do not registerwith the locking means, means to move the shifter bar along the gearcenters with a step motion to advance its notches nearer to the lockingmeans but only one of said notches into registration with one lockingmeans, and. means to move the release bar also along the gear centersinto the second of its two positions in which its notches do registerwith the locking means, the matching notches of the two bars enablingsuch movement of the respective locking means as locks the respectivegear to the driven shaft.

3. Transmission mechanism having a driven shaft and a plurality ofdriven speed-change gears, a gear center fixed on the shaft for eachgear, a pair of bars transfixing the gear centers, extending along butexternally of the shaft and being revoluble therewith, U-shaped lockingmeans carried by each gear center and being inverted upon contiguousparts of the pair of bars, each bar having notches, shifting means formoving one of the bars for a gear selection, and means for moving theother bar, thereby to match one pair of notches to let the respectivelocking means lock the selected gear to the respective gear center.

4. Transmission mechanism having a driven shaft and a plurality ofdriven speed-change gears, a gear center fixed on the shaft for eachgear, locking means carried by each gear center, a pair of disksslidable on the shaft and revoluble therewith, means limiting one of thedisks to two slid positions, a pair of bars extending along the shaft,each fixed to one of the disks, each bar having notches shifting meansfor sliding the other one of the pair of disks and its bar into any oneof a number of positions equal to the number of speed-change gears for agear selection and means for sliding the first-named one disk and itsbar thereby to match one pair of notches to let the respective lockingmeans lock the selected gear to the respective gear center.

ROLLIE R. EASTIN.

